EFFICIENCY: Two new studies say energy efficiency continues to be a cheaper option than new generation, particularly in the Midwest. (Midwest Energy News)

WIND: The U.S. Senate advances a bill that would revive the production tax credit. (The Hill)

***SPONSORED LINK: Attend “Solar Powering Illinois” on April 8.  Sessions on shared solar, IL RPS, solar in municipal aggregation and more. Keynotes include Dr. Elaine Ulrich, U.S. DOE, and Mike Hornitschek, StraightUp Solar. NABCEP credits provided.***

FRACKING: Under pressure from investors, Exxon agrees to publicly disclose information about the risks of fracking; a pro-drilling group urges voters in an Ohio town to reject a ballot measure banning fracking. (Wall Street Journal, Youngstown Vindicator)

COAL: The Illinois DNR will step up inspections of coal ash ponds, and the Illinois House rejects a measure that would have ended a public school coal curriculum requirement. (Associated Press)

PETCOKE: A plan to store petcoke near Detroit faces opposition from a county official. (Detroit News)

POLLUTION: The NAACP calls for policies favoring renewable energy, noting that coal plant pollution disproportionately impacts African-American neighborhoods. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

CLIMATE: An Indiana air quality official makes a joke about climate change on Twitter a government message board; his staff isn’t laughing. (Indianapolis Star)

OIL: A U.N. panel will investigate the risks of shipping crude oil by rail, and activists protest a Minnesota pipeline expansion. (Reuters, Minnesota Public Radio)

ETHANOL: Ethanol producers blame rail congestion for a jump in prices. (Associated Press)

NUCLEAR: The Department of Energy will take over a struggling Ohio uranium-enrichment facility. (Columbus Dispatch)

CLIMATE: The U.N. explores bioenergy as a means to capture carbon from the air. (ClimateWire)

TECHNOLOGY: The winners are announced at this year’s Clean Energy Challenge, and Minnesota awards a $740,000 grant to develop a device that improves diesel engine efficiency. (Crain’s Chicago Business)

COMMENTARY: A Democrat and a Republican agree that clean energy is good for Iowa’s economy. (Des Moines Register)

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Ken Paulman

Ken is the director of the Energy News Network at Fresh Energy and is a founding editor of both Midwest Energy News and Southeast Energy News. Prior to joining Fresh Energy, he was the managing editor for online news at Minnesota Public Radio. He started his journalism career in 2002 as a copy editor for the Duluth News Tribune before spending five years at the Spokesman-Review in Spokane, Washington, where he worked as a copy editor, online producer, features editor and night city editor. A Nebraska native, Ken has a bachelor's degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a master's degree from the University of Oregon. He is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists and Investigative Reporters and Editors.

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